Kinship Care in Washington State

Kinship Care in Washington State

September 2020

Angelique Day Alanna Feltner Sierra Wollen Lori Vanderwill

Contents

About Partners for Our Children ........................................................................................................... 2 Executive summary........................................................................................................................ 3 Definitions of terms ....................................................................................................................... 4 Overview of kinship care................................................................................................................. 5

Methodology ........................................................................................................................ 5 Results ................................................................................................................................ 6

Experiences of kinship caregivers in Washington ..................................................................................... 6 Experiences of caregivers by age ............................................................................................................. 9 Experiences of caregivers by race .......................................................................................................... 10 Kinship caregivers in rural and non-rural areas....................................................................................... 11 Summary .................................................................................................................................... 12 References .................................................................................................................................. 13 Appendices ................................................................................................................................. 15 Appendix 1. Tables and Figures .............................................................................................................. 15 Appendix 2. Statewide Caregiver Survey ................................................................................................ 39

Partners for Our Children |PO Box 359476 Seattle, WA 98195-9476 |

1

About Partners for Our Children

Partners for Our Children (P4C) was founded in 2007 to focus new thinking, resources and expertise on the state's child welfare system. We are a collaboration between Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families, the University of Washington School of Social Work and private sector funding. The mission of P4C is to combine the strengths of a public research university with resources from the private sector to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and families touched by Washington's public child welfare system. We advance our mission through three interrelated tasks: system level research, data and analytic support, and public policymaking. As an independent entity with both the research assets of a major university and strong relationships with policy makers, we are in a unique position to research and evaluate the effects of policy choices and practice changes in the public child welfare system. We analyze data from the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to better understand trends within the system, and when possible, combine it with data from related systems (courts, education, etc.) to create a more complete picture of how the child welfare system operates. Findings ultimately provide critical decision-making support for lawmakers and agency staff. Finally, we provide non-partisan input on proposals and legislation related to children and families in Washington state and at the federal level ? and whenever possible, we bolster public policy discussions with solid research evidence and data.

Washington's Kinship Navigator program has enjoyed legislative support and growth over the past 15 years since it was first implemented in 2005. In order to promote stability, Kinship Navigators provide kinship care families with assistance in applying for state and federal benefits as well as providing information and referrals for services to address their specific needs. These services promote knowledge and awareness of available resources for health, financial, legal, and other support services, such as, local support groups, kinship closets, legal clinics, and free family recreational passes. The economic services administration (ESA) also works with DCYF to provide supports to kinship caregivers. In addition to providing information and referral services, Kinship Navigators also help to reduce barriers faced by kinship care families through problem solving and collaboration with public, private, local, and state service providers.

This report provides the first statewide glimpse into the needs of formal and informal kinship caregivers since the WA kinship navigation program was implemented in 2005. This survey is a result of a partnership between UW, Adult Long-Term Services Administration (ALTSA), and the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF). The authors would like to thank our external partners for their valuable collaboration, comments, and support. The results from this survey will inform the modification of a statewide kinship navigation program manual for consistent statewide use by navigators as well as inform future program and resource development.

Research and Evaluation Staff Angelique Day, PhD, MSW Alanna Feltner, MPA, MSW Lori Vanderwill, PhD, MSW Sierra Wollen, MSW

Partners for Our Children |PO Box 359476 Seattle, WA 98195-9476 |

2

Executive summary

In order to understand the experiences of kinship caregivers in Washington State, Partners for Our Children (P4C) conducted a statewide survey with kinship caregivers. Eight hundred and sixty-eight kinship caregivers responded to the survey. Responses indicated that kinship caregivers in Washington state are primarily white, generally over the age of 55 and typically identify as grandparents. Kinship caregivers in Washington most frequently select finances, their child's emotional health, and the child's behavior as their greatest challenges. Kinship caregivers most frequently select financial support, recreational and social activities for the child in their care, and respite care as unmet needs.

This report provides an analysis of the differential responses provided by kinship caregivers who are over the age of 55, kinship caregivers who identify as non-White (referred to as POC caregivers for person of color), and kinship caregivers who reside in rural areas (as compared to younger, white, and non-rural residing kinship caregivers, respectively). The analysis revealed that kinship caregivers over the age of 55 more frequently select lower levels of income and are more likely to select physical health as their top challenge. POC caregivers were less likely to select their spouse or partner as their primary source of support and were less likely to select access to respite care services as their top challenge. POC caregivers selected their most frequent sources of support as public social services and other relatives. POC caregivers were more likely to select medical services as their top unmet need for their child. Kinship caregivers who reside in rural areas are more likely to select legal problems as a challenge than those who reside in non-rural areas.

Kinship caregivers provide an important source of support for children. This survey, conducted in partnership with the Adult Long-Term Services Administration (ALTSA) and the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), provides information on the characteristics of those who provide kinship care in Washington state, as well as their primary sources of support, top challenges, and ongoing unmet needs.

Partners for Our Children |PO Box 359476 Seattle, WA 98195-9476 |

3

Definitions of terms

Adoption. The legal process by which children join a family, where they will not be raised by their birth parents (CB, n.d.).

Durable power of attorney. An agreement by which a parent designates a trusted caregiver to make legal and medical decisions for a child (HCA, 2016).

Foster parent. Adults who provide a temporary home for children in their care. They may be relatives or non-relatives of the children and must be licensed caregivers (CB, n.d.).

Guardianship. A judicially determined relationship in which an adult cares for a child and assumes parental responsibility, without the termination of parental rights (CB, n.d.).

Kinship care. Full-time care provided by a child's relative or close family friend (CB, n.d.).

Non-parental custody (also known as third party custody). An agreement where someone other than a child's parents, with close ties to a child, assumes legal custody of the child's physical, medical, and emotional needs (Legal Voice, 2017).

TANF child-only grant. Funds granted to the child on behalf of the government, which are based on the child's income (Legal Voice, 2017).

TANF needy family grant. Governmental funds that can be granted for up to 60 months to the child and caregiver, which are based on the incomes of the children and adults in the household (Legal Voice, 2017).

Partners for Our Children |PO Box 359476 Seattle, WA 98195-9476 |

4

Overview of kinship care

Kinship care involves the full-time care of a child by a close family friend or relative. Approximately 7.6 million children currently live in households headed by kinship caregivers in the United States (Lent, & Otto, 2018; U.S. Census Bureau, 2018). Kinship care arrangements can be informal (taking place without state involvement) or formal (arranged/supervised by the state). Informal kinship care arrangements take place most frequently (Gleeson & Seryak, 2010). As of September 2, 2020, 3,548 children (47%) within Washington State of children experiencing out-of-home placement were placed in kinship care (DCYF, 2020). However, 44,000 children lived with a grandparent through informal kinship care arrangements during that same time period in Washington State (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2020). Nationally, 59% of kinship care arrangements involve grandparents, which is the most common placement type (2020). In 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau found that over 2.4 million households could be classified as grandparenthead-of-households with no parent present (indicating that the grandparents cared for their own grandchildren under the age of 18) (U.S. Census Bureau, 2018).

Kinship care can provide a sense of stability and security to children. For example, children in kinship care experience fewer instances of school and neighborhood changes than in foster care, which leads many researchers to argue that kinship caregiving arrangements should be considered the preferred placement option for children whose parents cannot care for them (Winokur & Batchelder, 2015; Gleeson, 1999). Kinship caregiving arrangements result in fewer placement disruptions and are generally seen as more financially effective for states than foster care placements (Littlewood, 2015).

Informal kinship caregivers are eligible for a few different types of financial resources, such as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF) Child-Only Grant, which provides government funds for children in kinship care. Caregivers may also be eligible for time-limited governmental funds based on their income. Additional financial support for kinship caregivers can come from the Kinship Caregivers Support Program (KCSP), which provides state funding for basic needs on a short-term basis. KCSP grants are annually limited to $2500 per caregiver and TANF grants provide $363 for the first child per month (the amount provided is higher for the first child and lower for each additional child). The Economic Services Administration (ESA) also works with the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to provide supports for kinship caregivers. These funds are less than the financial supports provided to foster parents in Washington State. Formal kinship families who are not licensed are eligible for non-needy, child-only TANF. While formal kinship families do not receive monthly foster care reimbursements, they may be eligible for child care. Medical coverage is also available to informal caregivers whose dependents are Medicaid eligible. Formal kinship caregivers are eligible for certain types of mileage reimbursement and a very limited amount of clothing support, such as a clothing voucher (DCYF, n.d.).

Methodology

Recruitment. Participants were recruited through mass mailings developed in partnership with the three major state department offices responsible for providing services to kinship caregiving families across the state of Washington, which includes DCYF, the Aging and Long-Term Support Administration (ALTSA), and the Economic Services Administration (ESA, which is the TANF office where child-only TANF benefits are distributed). ESA recruited about half of the participants, while DCYF and ALTSA each recruited approximately 25% of the participants. Surveys were distributed between November 2019 and May 2020. Partners for Our Children conducted both a satisfaction survey and a statewide survey (see

Partners for Our Children |PO Box 359476 Seattle, WA 98195-9476 |

5

Appendix 2). Participants who completed the satisfaction survey received a $15 gift card for compensation of their time. For the statewide survey, 20 names were randomly selected for $50 gift cards. Each survey took approximately 15 minutes to complete. This study was approved by the Washington State IRB.

Quantitative analytic method. The statistical software program STATA (v. 16) was used to calculate general descriptive statistics for program participants. Differences between comparison groups (such as caregivers above and below the age of 55) were calculated using a chi-squared test for categorical outcomes and a t-test for nominal outcomes. Given that respondents could select up to three sources of support, unmet needs, and challenges, differences between age group do not necessarily indicate that the need does not exist for a certain group. Instead, the differences reflect varying degrees of prioritization and selection of the three content areas. Percentages for results may not equal 100% as respondents were often allowed to select multiple choices for some factors such as race. For the results on unmet needs, greatest challenges, and biggest sources of support, participants could select up to three options meaning that most percentages will not total 100%.

Qualitative methodology. Qualitative responses were coded for common themes using Dedoose, a secure mixed-methods research application. The number of respondents who answered the question and the percentage of those respondents who selected a given theme in their response are reported below along with representative quotes from each category. Percentages do not equal 100% because respondents could write about multiple topics and thus more than one code could be assigned to their response.

Results

Experiences of kinship caregivers in Washington Caregiver demographics. Eight hundred and ninety-eight kinship caregivers responded to the statewide survey. Kinship caregivers who completed the survey ranged from ages 21 to 88, with an average age of 58. While majority of kinship caregivers identified as white (80%), black (8%) and American Indian1 caregivers (8%), caregivers of other races2 (1.4%) were also represented in the sample. Fifteen percent of the kinship caregivers also reported Hispanic origin. Most caregivers identified as female (90%), and caregivers reported a median income between $30,000-$39,999, which is lower than Washington State's 2018 median income of $73,294 (Office of Financial Management, 2020). The participants represented all 39 counties in Washington State, with the greatest percentages of caregivers responding from Pierce (11%) and King Counties (13%). See Table 1 for a detailed summary of kinship demographics and placement types.

Kinship caregiver placement types. Most of the participants in this sample identified as grandparents (71%) and aunts and uncles (13%) in relation to the child in their care. Other kinship caregivers described their relationship to the child in their care as siblings (.95%), cousins (1.9%), nieces/nephews

1 Many terms are used to describe indigenous people to the United States. For the sake of consistency, this report uses terminology consistent with the U.S. Census Bureau: American Indian. 2 Other races represented in this sample included Native Hawaiian (.002%), Korean (.006%), Japanese (.002%), and Filipino (.004%).

Partners for Our Children |PO Box 359476 Seattle, WA 98195-9476 |

6

(2%), adoptive parent(s) (1.5%), family friends (1.3%) and other3 (9%).4 The majority of participants identified as informal kinship caregivers (83.8%). For formal kinship caregiver arrangements, the most common types of placements involved guardianship (32%), third-party custody (28%), and unlicensed caregiver arrangements (11%). Informal kinship caregiver placements most frequently involved thirdparty custody (38%), guardianship (24%), and parental consent agreement5 (23%). Kinship caregivers cared for an average of two children, but a small percentage of the sample cared for four or more children (10%). Kinship caregivers reported that they had cared for children for an average of six and a half years; however, informal kinship caregivers reported having cared for children for longer on average (seven years) than formal kinship caregivers (four years). Children resided with their kinship caregivers for a variety of reasons. The most frequently cited circumstance leading to the kinship caregiver arrangement involved birth parent substance use (64%), but participants also reported that incidents of abuse and neglect (28%), birth parent behavioral health (16%), and birth parent incarceration (20%) also contributed to the placement decision. Informal kinship caregivers were more likely to select birth parent incarceration, substance use, and finances as factors that led to the current arrangement than formal kinship caregivers. These same circumstances may have prompted the child welfare intervention for formal kinship caregivers.

Sources of support reported by kinship caregivers. Kinship caregivers reported sources of support as well as the greatest challenges and unmet needs that they experienced in their roles. The most common sources of support selected by kinship caregivers involved their spouse or partner (42%), relatives (35%), and public social services (35%). See Figure 1 for more information about sources of support. Informal kinship caregivers were more likely to select other relatives and public social services as sources of support than formal kinship caregivers. See Table 8 for the statistical differences between informal and formal caregivers in reported sources of support.

Kinship caregivers who marked "other" described a variety of sources of support. A qualitative analysis revealed a few prominent themes, including family or community support (25%), with 8% of the sample indicating that one or both of the child's biological parents were a source of help. Caregivers over the age of 55 made up 69% of respondents indicating that family or community support was another source of help for them. Non-white caregivers (63%) and informal caregivers (55%) were also more likely to indicate that family or community were another source of help for them. The other sources of help included service agency support (24%) and financial support (18%), including public benefits (16.2%), childcare (6%), and health insurance (4.3%). Twenty-three percent of the 117 respondents reported that they had not received any help. Younger caregivers were more likely to indicate they had received no help, making up 73% of respondents who indicated they had not received help. Formal caregivers (69%) and white caregivers (56%) were also more likely to say they had not received any help. See Figure 2 and Table 2 for more information on the qualitative responses to the "other" sources of support indicated by kinship caregivers.

3 Responses under the category of "other" revealed numerous types of kinship caregiving arrangements such as nonbiological grandparents, pending adoption, or different types of arrangements for each of the children in their care (among others. 4 Total percent exceeds 100 due to rounding. 5 A temporary parental consent agreement grants temporary permission to a caregiver to make medical or educational decisions for a child. This agreement is not legally binding.

Partners for Our Children |PO Box 359476 Seattle, WA 98195-9476 |

7

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download